A proposed 86-mile trail
through Oregon's northern coast range could get a big vote of confidence from
Salem, where lawmakers appear ready to direct state parks and forest planners
to move head on the project.

As envisioned, the Salmonberry Trail
would follow an old railroad bed from the town of Banks to Tillamook, winding
through rugged terrain and affording spectacular views.

"This could be a national, if
not an international, draw," says Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose who is one of
the main forces behind the proposal. It would be open to hikers, cyclists and
horseback riders.

Senate Bill 1516, which gives
the state Parks and Recreation Department and the State Forester direction to
move forward on planning the trail, is up for a key committee vote Thursday. It
already passed one committee unanimously and is now before a budget committee,
which Johnson anticipates will move it to the Senate floor.

"This isn't something where
we're coming back and begging for tons of money," she says.

The big money part may come
later. What the bill does is direct the two agencies to work with other
"stakeholders" to identify options for developing each segment of the trail and
estimate the cost.

Once a detailed plan is in
hand, Johnson says, the state can start decide whether and how to make it real.

A total cost estimate has not yet been
determined but it would likely run in the millions. Supporters say money would
be raised through grants and private donations.

"This is going to be a
long-term project," Johnson says. But if the state could pull it off, it would
have its own multiple-use Appalachia Trail.

Proposed Salmonberry TrailSalmonberry Trail Corridor Coalition

The Salmonberry Trail
corridor follows the old Pacific Railway and Navigation Co. line. It starts in
Banks, cuts across remote areas of the Coast Range, follows the Salmonberry
River, then the Nehalem River to the coast, where it turns south to Tillamook.

The rail line was washed out
by floods in 1996 and was rebuilt at a cost of about $12 million. It
flooded again in 2007 and remains unusable, with twisted rails and ties strewn
in "a mess," she says. Cost of rebuilding has been estimated at $50 million.

As elected officials pondered
the cleanup, the idea of a new rails-to-trail route took hold.

Opposition has come from
property owners along the route, worried about vandalism and other problems,
and from people who don't want to bring tourists into what is otherwise a
remote, barely accessible part of the state.

But lawmakers appear smitten
with the idea of what could be one of the longest trails of its type in the
nation.

"It's a pretty exciting
opportunity to connect the Portland metropolitan area with the Oregon coast by
a way of a safe and beautiful trail," says Gerik Kransky, advocacy director for
the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

Kransky's group envisions the
trail as part of an eventual series of bike, hike and horse trails that extend
from Mount Hood to the coast. Eventually, the entire route could be paved and
bolstered with amenities such as camping areas, horse feeding stations, bike
facilities and more, he and Johnson say.

"It's a big bold vision,"
Kransky says.

-- Harry Esteve

CORRECTION: It cost about $12 million to rebuild the railroad line after the 1996 flood. Estimates to repair the line after the 2007 flood were about $50 million.

Related Stories

Where are the medical marijuana dispensaries?

Starbucks are about as common

Laws and lawmakers

Only at OregonLive: Here's where to track bills, find your lawmakers in Salem and D.C., and see information on Oregon's registered lobbyists. NEW: Legislators' financial/conflict-of-interest disclosures.